Consul general sees great change in China
By Yao Minji |
November 18, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PETER Potman calls himself an "adventurous young man" when describing his first diplomatic posting in Beijing from 1989 to 1992. The young Dutchman truly was.
The young man knew nothing about China when he was informed of the posting in June 1989. He arrived in August, the hottest month in Beijing and settled in quickly.
A week later, Potman was already exploring surrounding neighborhoods using a small map and a borrowed embassy car.
A few months later, he visited the Dunhuang caves in the desert of remote Gansu Province, again by himself. There was no shuttle when he arrived, and Potman walked 15 kilometers to get to the caves and enjoyed the beautiful frescoes and Buddha sculptures.
Among those adventures, the "adventurous young man" also met his future wife, a Dutch sinologist who was working in Beijing at the time. This year, Potman returned to China, 20 years later in his new post as consul general of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai.
"I have seen tremendous changes in China, and especially in the Chinese people. At the same time, they haven't changed. Underneath the surface of modernity, the people are still holding the same values about family life, making the same jokes as before," the consul general tells Shanghai Daily.
Potman gives an example of these changes through the experience of the Chinese staff members at the embassy, with whom he worked with in 1989. His assistant, at the time a fresh graduate, is now a middle-level manager of a prestigious foreign corporation in China. The youngest Chinese employee at the time now owns a successful IT company based in Beijing, with branches in five cities.
"They were among the first Chinese who went to study in the Netherlands through the platform of the embassy before returning for their own business, and today we have thousands of Chinese students studying for a variety of fields," Potman says.
As China and the Netherlands enter the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2012, the Rotterdam Commercial Representative Office will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of its establishment in Shanghai. Shanghai and Rotterdam, two of the largest and most important ports in the world, became sister cities 33 years ago.
"Dutch and Chinese have the common sense of congeniality, which is having fun together. Behind the curtain of formality, we and they like to be informal with friends, which is different from some other countries in Europe or in Asia. So we always feel very comfortable in China," Potman says.
"Dutch sailors were the first Westerners to be trading with Chinese, as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). And the bilateral cooperation has been growing rapidly in all fields."
When Potman worked in Beijing in 1989, the office had only 25 employees in total, and now it has more than 100. At the time, a few Dutch trading companies and banks had business in China, but there were less than 100 Dutch people in the country.
Today, Shanghai alone has between 2,500 and 4,000 Dutch residents, and Potman is especially impressed with the rocketing number of young professionals, who "smell the opportunity in this metropolis and financial center."
They work for more than 800 Dutch companies in Shanghai, which have contributed to nearly US$9 billion in trade between Shanghai and the Netherlands in 2010 and almost US$4 billion in Dutch direct investment in Shanghai in 2010.
It is a large percentage of the US$50 billion in trade between China and the Netherlands, among which 75 percent are Chinese exports to the Netherlands. Through the Rotterdam port and Schiphol airport, the majority of these exports are sent around Europe.
Potman's office dealt with 15,000 visa applications last year. It will likely reach 21,000 by end of this year.
"We have increasingly more Chinese visitors and business people coming to the Netherlands, and we are planning a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral relations next year, hopefully a Dutch week in the last week of April, as our national day is on April 30," Potman says.
Potman's keyword for promoting the Netherlands to Chinese people is what he calls "power within" in all directions. Dutch companies have made many products and services that people use almost daily without realizing they come from the Netherlands.
Dutch cultural, arts and design events and products are also famous for their unique charm, such as the upcoming performance titled "40 Years of Passion for Dance," a choreography selection of Jiri Kylian and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, performed by Introdans at the Shanghai Center Theater tomorrow and on Sunday.
The Netherlands by Numbers
39th
This year is the 39th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Netherlands. Shanghai and Rotterdam became sister cities 33 years ago.
US$9 billion
Today, Shanghai alone has between 2,500 and 4,000 Dutch residents. They work for more than 800 Dutch companies in Shanghai, which have contributed to nearly US$9 billion in trade between Shanghai and the Netherlands in 2010 and almost US$4 billion in Dutch direct investment in Shanghai in 2010.
21,000
The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai dealt with 15,000 visa applications last year. It will likely reach 21,000 by end of this year.
The young man knew nothing about China when he was informed of the posting in June 1989. He arrived in August, the hottest month in Beijing and settled in quickly.
A week later, Potman was already exploring surrounding neighborhoods using a small map and a borrowed embassy car.
A few months later, he visited the Dunhuang caves in the desert of remote Gansu Province, again by himself. There was no shuttle when he arrived, and Potman walked 15 kilometers to get to the caves and enjoyed the beautiful frescoes and Buddha sculptures.
Among those adventures, the "adventurous young man" also met his future wife, a Dutch sinologist who was working in Beijing at the time. This year, Potman returned to China, 20 years later in his new post as consul general of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai.
"I have seen tremendous changes in China, and especially in the Chinese people. At the same time, they haven't changed. Underneath the surface of modernity, the people are still holding the same values about family life, making the same jokes as before," the consul general tells Shanghai Daily.
Potman gives an example of these changes through the experience of the Chinese staff members at the embassy, with whom he worked with in 1989. His assistant, at the time a fresh graduate, is now a middle-level manager of a prestigious foreign corporation in China. The youngest Chinese employee at the time now owns a successful IT company based in Beijing, with branches in five cities.
"They were among the first Chinese who went to study in the Netherlands through the platform of the embassy before returning for their own business, and today we have thousands of Chinese students studying for a variety of fields," Potman says.
As China and the Netherlands enter the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2012, the Rotterdam Commercial Representative Office will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of its establishment in Shanghai. Shanghai and Rotterdam, two of the largest and most important ports in the world, became sister cities 33 years ago.
"Dutch and Chinese have the common sense of congeniality, which is having fun together. Behind the curtain of formality, we and they like to be informal with friends, which is different from some other countries in Europe or in Asia. So we always feel very comfortable in China," Potman says.
"Dutch sailors were the first Westerners to be trading with Chinese, as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). And the bilateral cooperation has been growing rapidly in all fields."
When Potman worked in Beijing in 1989, the office had only 25 employees in total, and now it has more than 100. At the time, a few Dutch trading companies and banks had business in China, but there were less than 100 Dutch people in the country.
Today, Shanghai alone has between 2,500 and 4,000 Dutch residents, and Potman is especially impressed with the rocketing number of young professionals, who "smell the opportunity in this metropolis and financial center."
They work for more than 800 Dutch companies in Shanghai, which have contributed to nearly US$9 billion in trade between Shanghai and the Netherlands in 2010 and almost US$4 billion in Dutch direct investment in Shanghai in 2010.
It is a large percentage of the US$50 billion in trade between China and the Netherlands, among which 75 percent are Chinese exports to the Netherlands. Through the Rotterdam port and Schiphol airport, the majority of these exports are sent around Europe.
Potman's office dealt with 15,000 visa applications last year. It will likely reach 21,000 by end of this year.
"We have increasingly more Chinese visitors and business people coming to the Netherlands, and we are planning a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral relations next year, hopefully a Dutch week in the last week of April, as our national day is on April 30," Potman says.
Potman's keyword for promoting the Netherlands to Chinese people is what he calls "power within" in all directions. Dutch companies have made many products and services that people use almost daily without realizing they come from the Netherlands.
Dutch cultural, arts and design events and products are also famous for their unique charm, such as the upcoming performance titled "40 Years of Passion for Dance," a choreography selection of Jiri Kylian and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, performed by Introdans at the Shanghai Center Theater tomorrow and on Sunday.
The Netherlands by Numbers
39th
This year is the 39th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Netherlands. Shanghai and Rotterdam became sister cities 33 years ago.
US$9 billion
Today, Shanghai alone has between 2,500 and 4,000 Dutch residents. They work for more than 800 Dutch companies in Shanghai, which have contributed to nearly US$9 billion in trade between Shanghai and the Netherlands in 2010 and almost US$4 billion in Dutch direct investment in Shanghai in 2010.
21,000
The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Shanghai dealt with 15,000 visa applications last year. It will likely reach 21,000 by end of this year.
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